Family ties
by The wander
Summary: A cross with Roswell, What if Max was Xanders father.
1. Chapter 1

Family's Ties

By: Robert jackson

All for fun, and enjoyment. This not for any profit.

This is an AU story. Its starts at the end of the 2nd season Buffy and 16 years after 3rd season Roswell. The last reason on Roswell takes place in 1983. It's what if Xander's Parents were Max and Tess.

Rated: 15 due some bad words. Rateing might change on other Chapters but those will be Rated seprate

Roswell 1983

Max sat on the front porch of his home, holding his son.

This was a bittersweet day for him. He was holding his son, joy filling his heart, while at the same time, knowing that he was going to give him away.

Last week, Tess had returned to Roswell from Antar, bringing his son Xan back. And her return caused everything to fall apart. She had been forced to leave Antar when Xan's DNA was found to have only human DNA. Panic-stricken, she ran to protect her son from Kivar, the King of Antar.

Then, when her ship had returned, it had been shot down by an Air Force Jet. The ship was captured before she could get away, and taken to Eagle Rock Air Force Base just outside of Roswell. The military investigating had forced open the ship, and Tess had killed everyone in the room to get her son out, and then ran to Max to protect her and her son.

Unfortunately, the Military had tracked her. So again, she did what she would always do protect her son. With the help of Liz Parker, she went to the base and killed everyone that was part of the Alien Hunter Special Unit in a massive explosion, taking out everyone who might be a threat to her child, along with all of their records.

And her own life.

Max also knew that Kivar was still looking to kill him and anyone else looking to side with him, and that the FBI would still be looking for him and the others. He could not, and would not, put his son through what he was going to be going through. 

And with no alien DNA, his son would not have to run. 

He could have a normal life, away from danger.

"Max, honey, it's time," Mrs. Evans told her son. Both she and Liz had been watching him with little Xan for hours. Both of them knowing it was for the best. That, and no one knew if or when the FBI or any of Kivar's men would show up.

Max reached down and lightly rubbed his hand across Xan's head. A small pulse of light flowed from his hand into Xan's head.

"What was that?" Mrs. Evans asked in awe.

"Just a memory," Max answered. "The adoption papers say we can't contact him after he leaves here. I just want him to remember that I loved him."

Sunny Dale 1998

Day of Discoveries.

Night time.

Xander was sitting with Willow, waiting.

She had found a new spell, and needed a willing subject and that was Xander's job. He was trying to get back on everyone's good side since the Fluke. For some reason, everyone seemed to blame him more than Willow, and he was content to keep it that way. Willow and Oz were working on staying together, and Cordy could not stay in the same room with him anymore. He felt he deserved the way everyone was treating him, anyway. He was a screw up. He knew it; Hell, everyone knew it. But he did want to be better. So here he was, sitting on the floor of Oz's bedroom. It was the only place that was free of parents tonight. Oz was sitting on the bed watching while he read some sheet music that Devon had got for the band.

The spell was to draw out Xander's true self, what ever that meant. He was Xander, that was his true self. But still, Willow had pushed and pushed. So here he was, with his butt going to sleep on a cold hard floor.

"Hey, Willow, could this spell go strange like the love spell?" Xander asked.

"No, Xander," Willow said with a small huff. " It's been 'no' every time you've asked in the last hour."

"I know. But with the love spell, everyone wanted me or to kill me from being with anyone else. I mean, what if this spell changes me into some thing else? I don't want to be a chair or a rock."

"Xander, it only brings out what you are on the inside, not turn you into something else. You would only be more you. Nothing can go wrong."

"DON'T SAY THAT!"

"What?" Willow looking up from her book.

"You'll jinx us, you know that."

"Xander, calm down. There is nothing to this. This spell just shows you your true self; maybe it'll release it, too. Not really sure about that part."

"WHAT?" Xander roared at Willow. "You don't know what the spell will do?"

"Of course, I know," she replied. Then added, in almost a whisper, "Just not everything."

"I think I should be going," Xander said as he started to get up.

"Sit down, Mister," Willow said, not even looking up from her book. "We are doing this tonight. Nothing will happen to you. So sit down and shut up for a while."

"But, Wills.."

"No talking! Spell starting," Willow snapped at him with her Resolve Face going.

Xander just sat back; he couldn't fight the face. Why is she using the face?

Then he just sat there as Willow started her spell.

Oz watched from the side lines. Just because had forgiven, didn't mean he had forgotten. He still didn't really trust them together alone.

The spell started. The circle around Xander started to glow. The candles marking the four corners of the world flared.

It's working, all three thought at the same time.

There was a bright flash and stars momentarily appeared in the air over Xander, in the shape of the Ares constellation, then they were gone. After the stars had vanished, Xander noticed that his skin had started to glow. And there was a itch with it. He rubbed his arms but the glow and itch only intensified.

Suddenly, a force picked him off the ground, and he started to spin. Slowly at first, then quickly going faster.

" Ahhh. Willow. Some help here," Xander said in a worried voice.

But before the budding witch could do anything, Xander's body started to glow from within and he suddenly felt like he was on fire.

Xander screamed.

Willow and Oz jumped up to help, but before they cold get to him, he was thrown across the room, hitting the far wall.

Xander looked up from were he lay on the floor, his clothes smoking.

"Willow. NEVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!"

"I am so sorry, Xander. That should not have happened; the books said it's a spell that only finds your true self. Nothing like this should have happen."

"Well, I don't really care, I'm going home AND PUT MY CLOTHES OUT!"

"See you tomorrow?" Willow asked hopefully.

Xander just nodded his head, and then walked out the door. He had had enough for the night.

Next Day

Sunnydale High.

Xander was sitting in his Bio class.

He looked up, waiting for the next in a long line of teachers for the class to walk in. He had been assigned as a lab assistant by Snyder. He would help the teacher prepare the class assignments, staple paper, clean the lab, whatever was needed. Just grunt work for them 'til they find someone else to do the job. He had gotten the job by being seen in the halls at the wrong time, and been drafted by the Troll. He had covered for Buffy to get away, but he hadn't made it himself.

So here he was.

The new teacher backed in, pushing open the door with her back because her hands were full of papers and a briefcase of some kind. She turned around and saw Xander sitting there.

"Uhm, this is room 213?"

"Yep, I am your lab assistant till you get one you want here."

"Oh. Ok. I'm Mrs. Evans. Glad to meet you, uh...?"

"Xander. Xander Harris."

"Xander. That's an unusual name."

"It's short for Alexander. But everyone calls me Xander."

" Well, Xander, mind if I call you Alex?"

Oh great, a new stand-offish teacher. Just what I need, to be stuck with an uptight teacher, he thought with sour look on his face.

"I had a friend that was named Alexander when I was in high school. He was a very good friend. It'll be nice to have another friend that goes by Alex", Liz said when she saw his face. She stopped and looked more closely at him.

No it can't be. Xan? After all this time, have we found you? 

Xander watched Mrs. Evans watch him.

What's wrong now? Have I got something in my teeth? 

"Uh, anything I can help you with, Mrs. Evans?" Xander asked his new teacher.

"No, not right now. Why don't you take some free time. Do your homework or something. I'll just get my desk squared away."

"Ok. You're the teach, I am the teach-ee," he said with a smile.

One week later.

Xander was sitting in the lab. He had been doing that more and more lately. It was a cool place, and Mrs. Evans was a very cool teacher, right up there with Ms Calendar (or was Kalderash?). He still thought she was cool, even if Buffy wanted to stake her on sight.

Well, maybe not that bad; she was looking the other way, so Giles and Jenny could be together. But she was definitely not happy with Jenny. Especially about keeping secrets like the Gypsy Curse.

Not that he really cared about Deadboy, but he had hurt Buffy and Willow. If it was up to Xander, he would have staked him along time ago. But the Scoobies, he had noticed had started to push him back a little. He had no power or anything, so he was called on less and less. If he didn't ask daily, they would never tell him anything.

Even Oz was acting more strange around him. Apparently, for something besides the whole cheating with his girlfriend thing. He had overheard him talking to Willow that he had started to smell funny. 

Smell funny? He took baths all the time.

But Oz still would still get upwind of him every time he was around. And his home has become a battle ground, with him a reason for the battles. His Mom and Dad were both trying to use him as a pawn in their fights. Just last night, he had found out he was adopted; that, according to his Dad, that his real parents were some kids that were just to dumb to use a rubber and then they just wanted him gone.

So here he sat in the lab.

Lately, this has become his only peace. Just sitting in the room, looking out the windows. Liz helped him with his homework, sometimes, and helped him understand it better, too. He had told her that if she was a guy, he would hit her for making him start to like schoolwork.

But it wasn't just that, really; she had given him something he had wanted his whole life: true friendship. Like he used to have with Willow, before everything went wrong. So, here he was, hiding out 'til school was over, and most of the teachers had gone home.

He had just set up the lab tables for tomorrow for Liz and was sitting, waiting 'til it was time to go. He really didn't want to run across anyone.

I'll just put my head down for a few minutes. 

Boom

He jerked his head up.

It was dark.

And very late.

He heard someone running down the halls. Grabbing his books, he headed toward the sounds. As he got to the top of the stairs heading down, he heard someone coming up. Just then, Jenny hit the first landing, and Angel was right behind her. The vampire grabbed her and his hand was raised, going for a killing blow.

Without any conscious thought, Xander acted. He put his hand up and suddenly, there was a white flash of light and a thundering sound, and Angel was picked up and thrown through the window.

My god, What did I just do? Xander thought.

What in the hell happened ? Jenny thought, looking around. She noticed that someone was standing on the stairs above her.

"Hello. Who's there?" she called out.

Xander just stood there, wondering what had just happened, staring with disbelief at his hand.

Then he turned and ran.

"O god, o god, what the hell's happening? I don't have any power. Buffy is going to slay me," he mumbled to himself as he ran down the halls. He didn't notice that he had dropped his books as he had ran away.

Jenny got up and walked to the window. Angel was long gone, by now. Looking around, she saw some books lying scattered along the hallway. Picking one up, Jenny looked for the name on the inside cover.

Alexander L. Harris.

Later that night

Jenny was sitting on Giles' small couch. Jenny had been sitting there for over an hour, at first just shaking, then thinking, sipping the cup of tea that Giles had fixed for her nerves.

After a sip of tea.

"Rupert, I almost had the curse worked out, so we could get Angel's soul back."

" Almost? What happened?" The gypsy computer teacher hadn't said anything since she had shown up an hour ago. She just sat and shook. Giles had waited patiently for her to tell him what had happened, but even his English resolve was wearing thin.

"Angel. I had just about finished getting the curse translated, when he showed up. He destroyed my computer with everything on it, then came after me. I should be dead but..."

"But what?"

"Someone stopped him."

"Were they hurt?" Maybe that's why she was acting so out of place.

"What? Oh no! It's just a surprise to me."

"Who was it?"

"Xander."

"That's not a surprise. He would help anyone in danger."

"Oh, I know that. That's not what surprised me. Rupert, have you been teaching him any spells?"

"No, of course not. He doesn't have the discipline to do magic."

"Well, he is doing magic. I felt a force come from him that knocked Angel away from me."

"Are you sure?"

"No, not really. I suppose it could have been from something else. But he was there and it came from his direction. He also ran away after the attack."

"If he is learning magic, we need to know where and from whom he is learning it. And we can't ask him directly; he doesn't react well to direct confrontation. I have noticed that he has been acting as though he feels a little left out of the group. Maybe he has been studying on his own," he theorized. "I'll ask Buffy and Willow to keep a close eye on him, try to determine if he is doing magic. If he is, we will need to stop him. There is no telling what kind of mess he might get into."

Next day

Xander was sitting in the Lab again, having arrived early this morning. He had not slept well last night, after everything that had happened.

Was he a demon? He just willed something to happen and it did. If Buffy found out, what would she do to him? Slay him?

Willow – could he trust her to tell something like this? After all, she was with Oz so she clearly didn't hate all demon-y things.

On top of everything else, he had been having dreams that didn't make any sense.

He was on another planet, and his mother was there. But not the woman that was living in his home now. The woman in his dreams was short with blue eyes and blonde hair, with a soft voice that just warmed him all over.

Then he was on earth, somewhere in the desert. They were on the run, with people chasing them, and his mother was killing anyone chasing them, to protect him.

Then everything was blurry, and he was at some house with his father standing over him, rubbing his head. He felt at peace, there in his father's arms.

Only to then be given to the Harris family. And never to have that peace again.

Wait a minute, Liz was in that dream. She was standing by my father. No, it had to be just a nice dream. 

He had wished for a home, not a house all his life but it never happened. It was all a dream, he had just fallen asleep at school and had a weird dream.

Opening a Twinkie, he started to eat it, but it just didn't taste right. Actually, nothing had tasted right in the last week. All of it was bland. He hoped he was not coming down with something on top of every thing else. He didn't remember ever being sick. Yeah, he had faked a few times to get out of things, but he never remembered really being sick.

But everything he had eaten lately needed some major spicing up. Nothing was sweet or spicy enough for him. He sat there looking at the table, wishing he knew what was happening.

As he sat there, Mrs. Evans walked in.

He glanced up at her. She liked him, and that was something new. Most of the other teachers here just put up with him, or just let him slide thought the class as long as he didn't talk too much. But with Liz's help, he had pulled his grades up from just about failing to a B in most of his classes, and to an A in her class.

"Hello, Alex," she smiled at him. She always called him that, no matter how many times he told her that no one called him that. Every time he tried to stop her, she would just smile and say something about her high school friend. Like, he loved music or how he would help her in class. Then he knew it was a lost cause.

He had found out quickly enough, she did what she wanted when she wanted. She'd even faced down Snyder in the halls one time when he was jumping on Willow after she was seen kissing Oz. Later, she had told Willow that something like had happen to her in school, but she had been doing more than just kissing in the hall. When Xander had asked how much more, she just smiled and said he would have to ask her husband, since he had been there.

"Hey, Mrs. E. What you need me to do today?"

"Nothing much. I just need some test stapled together."

"Cool. So I get to see my test before anyone else?" Xander asked trying to look innocent.

"Nice try. No, I have your class's test all ready. Your to staple the ones for homeroom and 6th period."

She was setting out a snack for herself while talking to Xander. It looked like chocolate with a red sauce on it. When her back was turned, he snatched a piece of it and dropped it in his mouth.

Man, does that taste good, Xander thought to himself. It was the first thing he had eaten in the past few days that tasted right.

Liz turned around, just in time to see him drop the chocolate piece in his mouth. She waited for him to spit it back out, but with a look of pure satisfaction, he swallowed the whole thing.

"Xander, are you eating my snack?" Liz asked him.

"Yes, Mrs. E. I just haven't been able to eat lately."

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Nothing tastes right lately."

"Are you feeling sick?"

"No, just been out of sorts. Can't sleep, either."

" Why can't you sleep?"

" Dreams."

"Oh. What happens in them?"

So Xander started tell her. Now Xander knew he wouldn't usually tell someone he had only know a few days about his dreams, but he had begun feeling that Liz was a good friend, while the others had all seemed to be watching for him to mess up again.

Liz seemed to look more closely at him as he told her about the dream. Especially after the part about how she was in it.

"Xander, were You adopted?"

"How did you know?" he asked looking at her. He hadn't told anyone yet. He was just getting his own mind around it.

"Well, I think what you dreamt was real." Then taking a deep breath, she added. "I might know your biological father."

Xander just looked at her, his jaw hanging open.

"If you want, I can see about getting you two together. But you cannot tell anyone. The adoption papers were drawn up so that he could not meet you 'til you're eighteen."

"Let me think about it," Xander finally said. "I don't know if I want to. He did give me up."

"He thought you were going to a better place than what he could give you, Xander. There were lots of things going on."

"Yeah, maybe so, but he did give me up." Xander said looking around the room, then " Let me think on it."

"Ok, but I think there are a lot of things that will be going on in your life in the next few weeks and you will need his help. Or mine, if you don't want his."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just wait. You're in for a fun ride. And just remember, we will be here for you. But you can't tell anyone."

Later that Day

Xander was walking down the hall toward their next class, heading for his computer class while Willow was on her way to America History, when Giles walked up.

"Buffy's sick. She's in the hospital, so you two need to stay in tonight."

Xander looks over to Willow, who shakes her head.

"Of course we will."

"Yea, G-man, not one to tempt Fate with Angelus running around; don't need the trouble."

Later, at the Hospital.

Xander, what are you doing here? You know he'll kill you if he shows up. Yes, but he will kill Buffy if no one is here at all, he thought to himself.

Just when he thought the night would be ok, the elevators doors opened and out walked Angel.

Jumping up, he moved to cut Angel off, and met up with the whistling vampire at the door to Buffy's room.

Looking him up and down, Xander challenged him, while taking a fast swallow.

"Visiting Hours are over."

"Well, I'm pretty much family," Angelus said with a smile that never reached his eyes.

"Yeah? Why don't you comeback during the day? Oh gee, you can't," Xander said trying to stay cool. In the back of his head, the words were echoing, "I am so dead."

"If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond you could stop me?"

Just then Angel noticed that Xander's hand was starting to glow. He could see the bones through the skin. 

What the Hell? The boy's smell is off, too. He's not human anymore, Angelus thought.

Xander could see a strange look come on Angels face.

He's buying it. Just push a little more and I might get out of this with my skin intact. 

"I'm kinda curious to find out. You game?" he asked, looking straight into Angel's eyes.

"Buffy's White Knight. You still love her. It must eat you up that I got there first," Angelus said with a smile.

Anger surfaces on Xanders face.

"You're going to die, and I'm gonna be there."

The light in Xander's hand grew brighter.

Angelus thought now would be a good time to get out of here. Slapping the Flowers into Xander's chest, he said, "Tell her I stopped by."

Later, after Angel had left.

"Man I need a Twinkie." He looked around for a snack machine, but he didn't notice that a man watching everything he did from the nurse's station.

My God, he is one of us, Max had thought as he watched the altercation between the boy and the dark haired man. That look was pure Tess as he stood him down. I need to talk to him before he hurts someone. But how? Just walk up and say, 'Hi, I'm your dad, and you're an alien'? God, why can't my life be easy. 

Xander had finally found some snacks and was sitting in Buffy's room. As he was eating, he thought, Even snack food in the hospital taste funny. These need something to spice them up. 

He walked out in the Halls. The evening meal trays were there on some carts, so he looked them over for something to add to the snack cakes.

Tabasco? That might work. 

Grabbing up the small packages, he headed back Buffy's room. After putting a coating on the cakes, he took a bite. Man, this the best ever. Why haven't I tried this before? 

The Next Day.

Xander was walking to school, and just before he got to Willow's house, a small car pulled up beside him.

"Alexander," a voice called out.

Looking over, he saw that it was the guy from his dream.

"Alex, We need to talk. Would you get in please?"

"I don't know."

"I saw what happen at the hospital. Have you been craving sweet and spicy foods? Or have you been having dreams that about things you could not know. And when you touch things, you get flashes of things that have happened around them ?"

"Who are you?"

"My name is Max Evans."

"Mrs. Evans' husband?"

" Yes, and I am also your father. And I want to help you."

Xander got into the car slowly.

"Ok, You're my dad?" Xander asked.

" Yes, It looks that way."

" Liz, She's my mom?"

" No, Your mother was named Tess."

"Was?"

" She's Dead, Has been for along time. She died when you were a year old."

" What happened, Was it a car wreak or something?"

"I will tell you about that soon, I want to know what's going on with you."

" What do you mean?" Looking around as Max pulled the car over into a parking lot.

" I saw you last night at the Hospital. What's going on? Are in some kind of Gang problem?"

"Nope no gangs here." He didn't understand it but he was believing this man, Max more and more. Then it hit him. He remembered looking into his face. It was a sunny day, he had a space ship rattle he could feel love and sadness coming from him, His father.

" I remember you, You gave me away."

" Yes, I did. I had Hoped you would have a better life, My life at the time was nothing but problems. Everyone was after me, Michael and Isabel."

" Who and Who?"

Max let a small laught.

" Those would be my best friend, Micheal he was a hot head. His wife calmed him down thought. They live in England right know. You might have heard of her. Maria Guerin."

" The Singer?"

"Yes, He's an artist. Their both doing real well. And your Aunt. Is Isabel the Model."

" No Shit. Wasn't she wanted by the FBI at one time?"

" Yes, all of us were. But we Straighten it all out a few years ago They still watch us from time to time but its because of what we not who we are. Your family... Were not from around here."

"You mean not from the USA?"

"No, Were from way farther than that."

"So were from Canada?"

"No, Farther."

Oh shit I am a demon!

"Were from another Planet."

" WHAT?"

" Calm down. And I'll explain everything from the beginning."

Later that day

Xander walked into the library, not really looking around. He just wanted a place to sit that Cordy or the sheep could not or would not go so he could think. He found a seat and just looked at the books.

Giles was watching him from his office and was about to go over and find out what was going on with him, when the new Biology teacher walked in.

"Hey Alex. Just found out that Max told you," she said with a shy smile. "So... How you doing with finding out?"

"How did you feel when you found out?" he asked, looking at her.

She slowly sat down beside him putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think you would want to find out my way. I was shot and he helped me. After that, my whole life changed."

"Did you know what had happened then?"

"No. Neither did Max. We found out everything slowly and with no help. We can help you through this."

"How? I mean my whole world has been turned upside down."

"Just remember, we are here when you want to talk about anything. I have to get back to my class. Stop by later and we will talk."

Xander watched Mrs. Evans leave the library.

He just sat and watched the doors swing, trying to put it all together in his head.

I am a Alien Prince. 

My REAL father was a king in another star system and was killed and sent to earth, only to meet up with his old wife, who is also human now with a little extra in the mix. I was taken back to Antar. But they sent back because I was human. But it was really only my human DNA masking my Alien DNA. 

And something has happened to me here to bring it out. Maybe Willow's spell did it. It was supposed to show my true self. 

I have a Power now. Should I tell anyone? They already treat me like a child. But, hey, I do act like one a lot. 

What do I do about Dad? I now have two of them and three moms, although one of them is dead. 

He was so busy running all these thoughts through his head that he didn't see Willow walk in or notice that Giles was watching him.

He pulled out a Twinkie and then a bottle of Tabasco sauce that he had picked up last night. He covered the Twinkie with then Tabasco, then put it in is mouth. The others were just about to stop him when he bit down on it. 

Willow stood back, waiting for the spit-take she just knew he was going to do when it hit his mouth, only to stop when a deep satisfied sound came from him.

"Xander, are you ok?" Giles asked watching the young man closely.

"Yea, G-man. Just family stuff," he said, jerking around to see Giles looking at him.

"Family stuff?" Willow asked.

"Found out I was adopted last night and met my real dad and his wife today. Just getting my mind around some curves there."

" Well, if you need anything, let me know."

"You got it, G. I'm out of here."

After Xander had left, Giles turned to Willow.

"Willow, keep a close eye on him if you would. Something more is going on just that."

"Like what?"

"I don't want to get into it.. It's just that I am a little worried about him that's all."

A few weeks later.

Buffy was out of the hospital, and was back in school. Together, Willow and Buffy had been tracking Xander around the school. He had been spending more and more time with one of his new teachers, Mrs. Evans, mostly in her class room. 

Several times a week, they would go in and lock the door and block the windows. Something was going on. Jenny had tried talking to her and all she'd found out was that Mrs. Evans was friendly, talked a lot, but never said anything about her past or what she and Xander were doing.

Willow did some hacking on the teacher and found out that she was from Roswell, New Mexico, and that she had been part of an FBI manhunt at one time, along with her husband and some friends, all centered around the death of an FBI agent.

That had gotten Willow going. Xander, her Xander, was mixed up with a killer. A gang of killers, at that.

Buffy had wanted to go after her and get Xander away from Mrs. Evans, but when they confronted him with the information on the teacher and her husband, he told them to mind their own business. He'd said that she was his friend and to stop following him.

So they did what they always did. They followed him anyway.

"What's up with that?" Buffy asked as Xander walked into the room and the door locked. 

Across from them, Cordy was watching too.

"Every free time he gets, he goes in there. Sometimes, she locks up and runs every one out," she said with one of her snide looks. "Dweeb boy finally found a way to pass the class."

"What do you mean by that?" Willow asked.

"His Grades were in the trash can, then he starts to get locked in a room with a teacher for hours, with the door locked and blinds closed , and then he suddenly starts to pass the class. You do the math. And why am I talking to you again?"

With that, she turned and walked away.

"Buffy, you don't think that's what's going on? Do you?"

"No, of course not. But we will just keep an eye on him anyway."

Inside the room.

"Ok, try this," Liz said as she held out her hand. Small green electric bolts ran along her fingers.

Xander held up his hand and soon, the Bolts started to run along his hand, too.

"This is so cool."

"Yes, it is. So far, you can do anything we can. The only thing we can't teach you is how to mind warp. Only your mother knew that trick, and she never wanted to share."

"Yeah, about that – my mother. Did you know her?"

"Yes, I did. I hope I even liked her at the end. But I don't think so. We fought over Max like two cats in heat. And she killed a very close friend to me. His name was Alex, too. That's why I call you that. He was very much like you."

"That's why you want to call me Alex all the time?"

"Yes, he was really special to me."

"Well, Mom, you can call me that all the time, if you want to," Xander said with smile.

Liz broke into a smile. He'd called her Mom. She grab him up into a hug and kissed his cheek. Just as Snyder threw open the door.

"Ah ha!" he yelled at both of them.

Across the hall, both Buffy and Willows' jaws fell open. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"I'll have your job for this, Mrs. Evans. And finally have you gone, Harris. Today is looking to be my best day ever," he gloated at them. "Both you to my Office now."

Giles was just sitting back with a good book and nice tea, when...

"GILES!" A scream from both Buffy and Willow caused both his good book and tea to meet on his lap.

Bloody Americans! he thought as he got up and walked out of his office.

"Giles, why are your pants wet?" Willow asked.

"Giles, Xander was caught kissing his teacher," Buffy practically yelled at him.

O, just another great day? Giles thought he stood there.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Family Ties 2

Author: Robert jackson

Email: to archive: yes, just let me know where.

Pairing/Characters: Xander/Faith,

Rating: pg 13

Summary: What if Max (roswell ) was Xanders father.

Warnings: none you have seen the shows you know whats going on.

Notes: No Kendra, like her but cant write her very well. Ok this and most of the stories I publishing now are my older works, will publish new stuff as I write it, and try to finish them, as I get time.

Inside the principal's Office.

"Care to explain what I just saw Mrs. Evans?" Synder started.

"What?" Liz started, "There was nothing going on."

"I've heard rumors about a teacher that locks herself up with a male student everyday, then when I check it out, what do I find? That the teacher was not only locked up with the student she was kissing him!"

"It was a peck on the cheek, nothing serious."

"In this time and day, it is something. What is going on?"

"She just was helping me with my school work," Xander said as he joined the conversation. There was no way he was going to let the Littlest Troll here hurt Liz.

"So what kind of homework or school work needs you to kiss?"

"It just happened. She has been helping, And I finally understood something that I have been going around and around with."

"What was it?" Snyder looking like he very much didn't believe what Xander was saying.

"Some Bio work that we had in class."

"Do you understand it now?"

"Yes," Xander said looking at Synder.  
"Good. Mrs. Parker, Go get the relevant papers. We are going to have a little test. If Mr. Harris here passes, then I'll believe what you had just said. But if he fails, then both of you are out the door. Do you understand?"

Later, Buffy watched as Mrs. Evans walked out of Synder's office. Synder watched as she walked away.

"I'll be watching you."

"O, yippy," she said to him, "my very own stalker."

"And you Harris," Snyder yelled as Xander walked out of the office. "I'll get you, too."

"What? Why? He didn't do anything," Mrs. Evans yelled at the little troll, She had stood down skins and rogue FBI agents; no hopped up little man with delusions of grandeur was going to get her...Son?

Was he now her son? she thought to herself. He had called her Mom back in the classroom. And he was the closest thing to a friend she had made in a while. Someone that could know everything about whom she was. Yeah, I guess he is my Son. If not, flesh but Sprit. 

"Mrs. Evans, haven't you wondered how he could stay in your class so much?"

"Well... not really. I just was helping him out with the classwork."

Xander looked like he was going to slide into the floor.

"He has been skipping classes. Now if he was hanging out with that troublemaker Summers, I could let it go. I want to keep all the trouble in one spot. But I will not have students all over my school!"

"Isn't that what students are supposed to be doing?" asked a man walking up be hind Mrs. Evans.

Buffy watched the man.

My God! It's Ford! , she thought, thinking back to her friend that had come by a few months ago. The friend that had tried to sell her to Spike, in order to become a vampire.

No, that's not right; I staked him months ago. 

"Who are you and what are you doing on school grounds!" Synder snapped, as Buffy watched, dumbfounded.

"I am Liz's Husband, and I'm picking Xander and her up. He has an appointment with me this afternoon."  
Buffy thought.

"Well, get him and go," Snyder said, looking nastily at them. "Maybe now that you're here, these two can keep their hands to themselves."

Max looked at Liz, then to Xander, and a small smile appeared on his face.

"Why? I like it that they get along so well. I hope they get closer."

Both Synder and Buffy felt like they had swallowed their tongue.

Synder glared at Max.

All Buffy could think about was a big

"I think I will be contacting Mr. Harris's parents about this."

"Go ahead," Xander said. "Both of them should be on their third bottle of Jack right about now. I mean, it's only 2:00, so I'm sure you can at least tell them. They won't remember it but you can tell them."

Buffy looked at Xander in astonishment. Was his home life really that bad? Why didn't he say something to her? Wasn't he her best guy friend?

Xander looked around and saw Buffy standing there and his eyes widened.

Buffy thought. He didn't know I was here. 

"It doesn't matter anyway," Max told Snyder as he handed him a letter. "He  
will be gone the rest of the week."

"What's the meaning of this?" Snyder snarled Max as he snatched the letter.

"Well, I can't go into it," Max glanced over at Xander. "But I need to take him to LA for some tests."

"What? He's not sick."

"No, he's not, but he does have a rare genetic trait. Not many people have it."

"Well then, take him. A few days without him here will be heaven. But you, Mrs.  
Evans, get back to your class."

The Next Monday.  
Cordy was walking into History class, when she heard Harmony and Aura talking.

"I'm telling you, that's him!" Aura pointing at a picture in a magazine.

"No way! That loser Harris couldn't be there," Harmony insisted while looking at the picture.

Xander? Cordy thought walking over and snapping up the magazine. It was one of those tabloids with all the unauthorized pictures.

Last Saturday Night, Super Model Isabel Ramirez was seen out, not with her husband of 16 years, but a new face. This reporter has not been able to find out this mystery man's name, but I will keep looking 'til I do. Isabel and the mystery man were seen at the opening for the new Star Wars Movie, then hobnobbing their way from one party to another all night, dancing and having a very good time. Does this mean that Isabel will soon be single? And who was this young man? He was last seen slipping out with one of Isabel's Supermodel friends to parts unknown, but was spotted the next day at Isabel's home at the bright and early time of 6:00 a.m.! Isabel's husband is out of the country right now working on a case for the singer Maria ( who is a close friend of the family). This reporter will keep her eyes on this and let you know more about what is happening in this.

After reading the story, Cordy looked down at the picture. There was Xander dancing with Isabel, and she was just hanging on him.

That son of a BITCH! He was supposed to be suffering! And he's out dancing with Super Models! Not Just anyone but one of my favorite ones, too! 

The rage just build and build in her.

Out in the hall, Buffy was running down the corridor, hurrying to her class.

I'm late, I'm late, she was thinking to herself.

Just as she opened the door, she heard a scream of such rage that she thought that a demon was in the classroom. She looked in just in time to get hit between the eyes with a flying magazine. It hit her so hard and was so unexpected that she was knocked down. Everyone in class was looking at Cordy with amazement as she stormed out.

"I AM GOING TO KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!" she yelled as she ran out looking for Xander, with their teach in hot pursuit.

"Well, at least I am not late," Buffy muttered to herself as she watched Cordy storm out, then picked up the book. Looking at a page that was torn almost completely out, She glanced at the picture.

Hmm, that looks like Xander. But he was the doctor's all weekend, she thought to herself, looking back at the picture. Unless Dr. Evans lied. Looking around, she got up and went to find Xander, too.

Down the Hall

Xander was sitting in class, trying not to fall asleep. He was getting better at classwork but he still had a long way to go, and Mr. Talon's class was VERY boring. Willow sat on the other side of him, hanging on every word that teacher said.

Xander, however, was about to fall asleep. But that all changed very quickly.

Cordy stormed in.

"THERE YOU ARE," she screamed at Xander who fell out of his chair at the sudden outburst.

"Cordy, What's wrong?"

"YOU ARE NOT SUFFERING FOR WHAT YOU DID!"

"Huh?" Xander said, looking around as the class watched on. Both teachers were heading toward them to get Cordy.

"I SAW THE PICTURES OF YOU WITH THAT MODEL THIS WEEKEND!"

"Cordy, calm down," Xander said, looking around. The class had come to a complete stop at her strident exclamation, with everyone looking at Xander. Xander Harris with a model?

"DID YOU LIKE RUBBING ON THAT FAKE CHEST OF HERS?"

Xander was in shock. The only thing he could thing of was the model that his Aunt Isabel had hooked him up with. Sure, she was a few years older than him, but they had had a good time after that party, sitting around and talking. And she hugged him on her way out. Because of that, he was sure there was no way that they were fake.

"They're not fake!" Xander immediately snapped back.

Cordy's and Willow's eyes bulged at that statement, but Xander didn't notice, since he was remembering the hug she gave him.

Larry and the rest of the football team in the back of the class just cheered. They may not have gotten the model, but at least someone they knew had.

"Way to go, Harris!" Larry yelled.  
After that, the class just fell apart.

Cordy was in a kind of shock and was sent home. Synder tried his best to get Xander sent also, but he had not done anything. He was just trying to calm down an ex-girlfriend who was after his head.

And now, once again, Xander was hiding out in the lab with Liz again. They both wished he could tell people what was going on, but if they did, right now, his adoptive parents could cause all kinds of problems. 

Over the next few weeks, Xander helped Buffy out all he could with the Slaying. He used his powers to make stakes and to sharpen and repair weapons, and was almost caught a few times by Giles and/or Willow.

Giles did suspect that something was going on. 

Xander would pick up weapons that he knew were broken beyond repair, and in a few minutes time, they were repaired, even better than they were before.

He checked each of the weapons for any magic residue but there wasn't even the tiniest bit of a spark there. Next, he put a charm on the table next to Xander. It would cause another charm that he kept in a pocket to glow if magic was used around it, then left Xander alone to work on the weapons.

End result: no glow, but a crossbow that had needed its frame replaced was better than new upon his return.

For the life of me, I can't figure out how he is doing this, Giles said as he watched Xander make stakes.

Xander would have liked to use his powers to make the stakes, but Giles was sitting right there. He had found out Buffy liked to use the ones he had made with his powers more than the ones he made normally for some reason. They just seemed to fit better in her hand.

A few weeks later. Chase home.

Cordy was throwing a big party at her home. Her father and mother were out of town for the night, at some big party in LA, at the Wolfram & Hart Building, her father talking about taxes with some lawyer there.

So, she had the house to herself for the weekend. It was going to be a Pay-preview party. Two of her Favorite Singers was to be on: Madonna, then Maria, would be doing a show out of Boston.  
"Hurry, guys. The show is about to begin," Cordy called as Harmony and Aura were getting the snacks.

The room was full of all the In crowd from the school, the jocks and cheerleaders, and a few people that MIGHT be In crowd later.

They were to be watched and then destroyed, if they proved to be too popular. She would not be knocked out of the Queen spot, this close to the end of school. The jocks started to laughed and she looked over. There was one of the new girls, talking to a group of them. 

Making a mental note, she would find out about her and get rid of her in a few days.

No, this was her party and everyone needed to watch and pay attention to her. She had heard what Harmony and the new girl were talking about at school; how SHE had had a mental break down over some loser.

Well, maybe Xander was a loser. Be he had been her loser 'til that redheaded BITCH got her claws into him. Then what did she do? Run back to her boyfriend and leave him all alone.

Not that she cared, although she still found herself watching for him and thinking about him.

"Harmony, Get those snacks in here NOW! The show is starting."

On the screen, the Material Girl herself was starting the show.

Everyone found a seat and Cordy took her throne in the middle of the room. 

The closer you got to her, the better the show was, so she only let a chosen few close. It was just another way of controlling the group.

Everything was perfect again, like it was when she was with Xander, and no monsters were trying to kill her. She would never have been able to have this party if she was still with Xander though. He just wouldn't fit in.

Worse, he would just be used as a tool to get to her, and she could not let Harmony do that. 

And Xander would have fallen for it, like he fell for Willow. Now he falls for everyone. First, the teacher, then he's with not one, but two models in one night, and ends up spending the night with one.

How would he know that? she wondered. I mean he would have to touch them, right? And he could touch really good, too, she remembered as she recalled all the times he had touched hers while they played around.

As she sat there, she gripped the arm of her chair tighter and tighter. Aura heard a popping noise, and looking over, she saw that Cordy's fingernails had punched thought the leather on the arm rest.

"Uh . . . Cordy? What's wrong?" she asked in small voice. She didn't want to be on the receiving end if something was wrong.

Cordy looked over to her, then down to her hand. She let go fast and started to rub her hands together.

"Nothing, just a little under the weather."

"O...Ok. Let's just watch the show."

On the TV, Madonna had just finished her show and the cameras were backstage. One was in Maria's dressing room, where the singer was sitting talking to some people. The camera panned around the room. There were a few girl fans there, but it was the person sitting next to Maria that caused the whole room to stop.

"That's Harris!" Larry yelled.

There was Xander, sitting next to Maria, who stood up to go on stage, then turned and said something to him. He shook his head, and then she kissed his cheek and walked out. The Cameras followed her to the stage, and everyone at the party started to talk.

Everyone but Cordy. She had very quietly fainted in her chair.

Across town.

Buffy and Willow were watching the same show. Oz, who was sitting beside Willow, just looked at the TV.

"Huh, gets around a lot, lately," he said as the girls just sat there with their jaws open.

After the concert, across the country

Xander spent some time with Maria, and even got some autographs for the girls back home. He just didn't know how to really tell them how he got them. So after Maria, (She was such a free sprit, kinda of like Mrs. Calendar) headed off to bed, he got up and went for a walk.

He was in Boston. He didn't think he would run across Vampire here. He was away from the hell mouth, so no vampires, right?

But guess what was the first thing he found?

Vampires. Why did it have to be them? he asked as he ran toward the screams.

He could hear the vampires' laughter as he closed in on the old building. Pushing on the door, it would not move. He looked at it, then used his powers on it.

He had been practicing for a good while now, so he didn't just blow it open. He heard the old locks click as he concentrated , then moved his hands to the hinges, taking away the rust on them. He then moved the door open. It was not as quiet as he would have liked, but it was better than before.

Once inside, he saw who had screamed. There was a woman hung from a hook on the wall, and she looked like she had been beaten and had some of her organs removed.

There, lying on the floor before her, was a young girl about his own age, or maybe a few years younger. She was crying and begging the woman not to be dead. Across from her were two vampires. One was a small black man in a suit, but the other was a huge creature, who had hooves for hands and a monster's face, and he was smiling down at the girl.

"Now , it's your turn, little girl," the larger vampire said. Walking up to the girl, he kicked her. The girl flew through the air and hit the wall with a sickening thud.

Xander just reacted. He held his hand out and a blast of pure power hit the vampire, knocking it across the room. He quickly ran down to help the girl but the vampire was already getting up and moving toward him. The vampire hit him, knocking him down across the room, then moved on him.

The vampire sniffed the air.

"What are you?"

He had never smell a creature like this. It was new and he didn't like that. He was old enough not to find new things the least bit interesting new things for him were dangerous.

He grabbed Xander by his neck and pulled him close to his face. The boy's blood smelled off. No way was he going to taste it. He was just going to kill this thing and be done with it.

Xander could feel the life flowing from him.

he told himself.  
Picking up his hand, he placed it on the vampire's chest, trying to push away, but it was no good. Then it hit him. He started to push heat into the vampire. Around his hand, it started to smoke, then burn.

The Vampire threw him across the room and started to slap at the fire. The one in the suit started to move in and Xander flicked his hand and he went flying crashing out through the window.

Getting to his feet, Xander looked around for a weapon. Then he saw it - a huge beam of wood, just sitting there against the wall.

He focused his power at it and forced it to split. A large piece came off with a sharp point on it. He lifted that fragment with his power and pushed it at the vampire, who had just put out his shirt, looking up just in time to see the large wooden spear hit him in the chest.

After the huge vampire had turned to dust, Xander went to the window. The other vamp, the small black one, was long gone.

He turned back to the girl and found her lying in a pool of blood. Her skull was cracked, and he could see pieces of bone sticking out of her scalp.

"Oh, God," he said as he bent down. He realized if he didn't help, she was going to die.

Slowly, he put his hands over her wound.

"Open your eyes," he told the girl and she moved a little.

"Open your eyes, NOW!" he commanded.

With that, her eyes opened. They held so much pain, she could hardly focus on him.

Then there was Connection, and he was in.

He started to fix her wounds, but as he healed her flash from her life came to him: her mother drinking; a new man at the house every weekend; drugs; her on the streets doing what she needed to live. 

Then came the woman on the wall her only true friend. Watching out for her, getting her off the streets and into a home. 

Then Vampires and demons.

He released her fast, since she was coming to.

He had to get away! She was a Slayer!  
If she told the council, he was so screwed. There is no telling what the Council would do.

Giles didn't have the highest complements about them. If you were not human, you were to be killed on sight. Now he was not human anymore. And he had proved it.

The girl opened her eyes and looked at him.

"You'll be ok," he said with a smile, "and I'll be going now."

Faith just sat there and watched him run out, feeling her Slayer healing taking over where the kid had stopped.

She had been dead; she knew it. She had felt her head crack as it hit the wall.

The next thing she knew, she was sitting here looking into some guy's dark eyes and seeing flashes from somewhere.

First, there were stars. Then a town, with monsters running around, and the boy was in the middle of it, fighting them. There were others there, too; a redheaded girl, a small redheaded guy, some old dude with glasses, and a blonde girl. That one, she had seen before- someone named Buffy. She had seen a picture of her when her Watcher was showing her the Slayer Handbooks.

Had she really been dead? Had he brought her back? She was going to find him. She had to know why? And she now had a starting place. Sunnydale.

Next day  
Sunnydale

Xander was unpacking his backpack when Buffy and Willow stopped by.

"Xander, how are you?" Buffy started looking at Willow. On the way over, they had decided that Buffy would ask the questions and that Willow would act as a lie detector.

"Fine, Buffy. And how are you?" he answered, watching his friends as he kept putting clothes away.

"Hmm, Xan, we watched a Concert on Pay Per View last night."

"Yea, that's good."

In the back of his mind he was thinking fast. "Oh, got you and Willow something," he said, handing over the autographs that he got for them.  
"Thanks, Xan. Uhm, how did you get the tickets for the trip and concert?" All of them knew Xander's parents would not put out for them.

"A friend in LA. She had them and couldn't make it, so she gave them to me."

"Some friend," Buffy said looking at Xander. "I mean you just met her, right?"

"Yep, just met her. But we hit it off really good. Got really close in a short time."

Buffy looked at Willow. Just how close did they get, for her to give that kind of gift to him? Backstage passes, plane trips and the show itself.

Buffy looked down at the shirt he was pulling out. The cuff had dried blood on it. It didn't look like it was Demon. Human blood?

Just what the Hell has Xander gotten himself into? 


	3. Chapter 3

part 3

for fun. enjoy

The halls had cleared as people headed to class.

Everyone but Cordelia, that is. She was stalking the halls looking for her prey.

One Xander Harris.

He had shown her up for the last time. The concert was the last straw. That dweeb could not have his life get better; he had to suffer for what he did to her!

And everywhere she turned, someone was talking about what cool thing Xander was doing now.

That had to stop.

NOW!

Across the campus, Xander was going through his locker, getting his books for the day, and hoping it was going to be a nice calm day.

No one upset, no one yelling. Just plenty of class work... What am I thinking? Xander asked himself.

As he walked to class, he felt like he was on display. Everyone was watching and whispering about him.

What's going on? 

Cordelia spotted her prey, and moved in. This would be so good. She had worked all weekend for this. She would cut him to the bone, leave him humbled before her.

As she was closing in on him, she passed Harmony and Aura, and she heard them talking.

"Look here. This picture - that's Xander's Hawaiian shirt..." Harmony said, watching Cordelia out of the corner of her eye. "And from what the reporter said, she had slept in it the night before."

Cordelia immediately came to a screeching halt.

"How do you know it was his shirt?" Aura asked.

"Just look at the picture. He wore that last week. How did she get it, though? Hmmm?" Harmony continued, "And they did say that there was a young man sleeping in the hotel with her. Just look in the background - that's Xander."

Cordelia snatched the magazine away from Harmony, as her eyes filled with rage. There he was - Xander, sleeping on a bed in the background.

And Maria WAS wearing his shirt. She remembered it distinctly; he had worn it the day she had confronted him about the models. Now he was doing it again.

"Hey, Cordelia, you all right?"

Cordelia just stared at the picture, not really thinking of anything in particular. Just that Xander hurt her. And every time she started to get over it, he did something like this.

He was NOT supposed to get better, only worse! And NO ONE gets over Cordelia Chase!

"Cordelia? Hi, my name is Anya."

Cordelia just stood there. Now she could hear all the conversations going on around her. How Xander did this and how he did that. How he played both Willow and Cordelia, used them, then threw Cordelia away and kept the redhead around, so he could have a little plaything to go along with Mrs. Evans.

"I heard Xander..." that was as far as Anya got.

Cordelia whipped and knocked out the young woman with a single punch. She was tired of hearing about Xander! She turned and marched right at him, as Harmony and Aura watched with wide eyes.

"Xander Harris! How could you?"

"Do what?"

"You...You...Dweeb!"

"And again with the 'Huh?'"

Then everything she had thought up over the last day was gone. He had those cute puppy dog eyes. God, how can he use those? I'm mad at him! 

"Moron!" Then she turned and stormed away, stepping over the unconscious form of Anya.

"Well, today is off to a great start," Xander said, looking after Cordy.

All day, Xander just about ran from Cordelia. Every room she came into, he was leaving through another door. He even found a way to be called to the office so he would not be in his one class with her. It was very bad; Snyder had been looking for a reason to hall him in and he had to give him one. It was kind of fun to do something, just to be called into the Office. But it took him 3 tries to get it just right. And then Snyder almost walked down the wrong hall.

How can someone that is always there when you don't want him never there when you do? Xander wondered.

The rest of the day went smoothly. The only thing going on was that Angel was up to something. But then he had always been up to something.

So, after the Scooby meeting was over, he had to get over to his real parents' house, as he had come to think of them. He couldn't spend much time with them, but what time he did get, he took. And since the classroom kiss, he could not practice with someone that knew what he trying to do. He REALLY didn't want to hurt anyone... or himself.

As he left the meeting, he didn't notice that Buffy was following him.

Later that night, he had a fine meal with the Evans. Xander hardly ever went home anymore, and his adopted parents never even noticed. He just went to their house to sleep, and sometimes not even that. Since his big change, he didn't need to sleep as much any way, and a few other changes were going on, too.

Xander was helping Max with the dishes while Liz graded some papers.

"Uh, Dad." Xander started.

"Yeah, what's on your mind?" Max could tell something had been bothering Xander all night.

"I used my powers to save someone while I was in Boston," Xander said, not looking up.

"Ok. Would they have died if you hadn't helped?"

"Yeah. Her head was split open."

"Then you did good. But there might be repercussions to what you did tho."

"Yeah, big ones. I got flashes from her. And I think she got some from me."

"Healing doesn't always do that. You will get flashes from them. But they don't always get them from you."

"I think she did. She wasn't a normal human."

"She was an alien?" Liz spoke up from the table where she had been listening to the men in her life talk.

"No, she's a Slayer."

"A what?" Max asked.

"Well, you remember that I didn't freak too much about you guys not being completely human? Well, there's all kinds of not-human stuff here in SunnyHell. It all started with this girl..."

It took him over an hour to tell them everything; about Slayers, Watchers and things that go bump in the night.

"Why haven't We seen anything like that?" Max asked.

"It could be that we're not exactly human, anymore." Liz said.

"Oz did say I didn't smell the same," Xander noted after his new parents gave him a funny look. "He's a Werewolf. And the only way to test it is to ask and I don't really want to go asking a Vampire if I smell human."

"Ok, let's get back to the girl. Are you sure she was a Slayer?" Liz asked.

"Yeah. I got flashes from her. She's had a bad life, even worse than mine. I wanted to stay and help her, but if the Council found out about us, there's no telling what they would do. I mean, they kill anything that is not human, just to make sure it can't hurt anyone. They send teenage girls out to fight without any help except an old guy with books."

"Could this girl find you?" Max asked.

"I don't know. She is from the other side of the country."

"So, we don't worry about it unless she shows up."

"But I wanted to help her."

"You did. But you wanted to protect us. Sometimes you have to make very hard decisions; that's what growing up means. I could help everyone brought into the hospital, so no one would ever have to die there, but I can't.

"First, it would get the FBI back to looking at us, and then it would affect everyone in the family. Isabel would have to go into hiding and Maria and Michael would, too. But you did all you could do."

"I know, but was it enough?"  
"It was. She's alive."

"So what else happened today?" Liz asked getting off the subject.

"Well, Cordy called me a moron for no reason."

"Sounds like Michael and Maria, don't they?" Max asked his wife, who started to laugh at the wide-eyed look on Xanders face.

After Xander had left to go home, he didn't notice that Buffy was standing across the street, watching.

What's Xander doing there? she asked herself, and decided to follow him home.

On the way, she saw a vampire begin sneaking up behind him. She started to move in closer to stake him, when the vamp stopped and sniffed the air. Then he shook his head and walked away.

Now what the HELL is going on? she asked herself.


	4. Chapter 4

part 4

Joey the vampire had been turned by Angelus himself. And he was very good at what he did.

Which was expecting things.

Or at least making sure that they happen the way he wanted them to. He had paid off the bus driver and the Station clerk, to make sure the Buses got to Sunnydale after dark, and that had gone as expected. There was always one rider that would walk off into the night and not want to wait for a cab, that was to be expected. His prey would have to walk through some of the darkest streets in Sunnydale, thanks to him and some rocks, and that was expected, too.

When he closed in on the young girl, though, things started to get a little unexpected.

He jumped at the girl, and just as his hands closed on her, she moved. She grabbed him and threw him against the wall. Pulling a stake out of her jacket pocket, she drove it into his heart.

Joey's last thought was, That's unexpected. 

Faith stood there looking at the pile of dust.

Man, some Vamps at just plain dumb. 

Looking around, she thought, Need a place to stay, then start looking for Buffy. Then grinned to herself, What was her Mom on to name her that? 

She walked up the street some more, to find a local no-tell motel.

Well, it'll do for a while. Just hope the walls are thicker than the last place. I really need some sleep, what with all that moaning and groaning at the last place. Some people just have no consideration for anyone. And she was starting to wear out her fingers.

She had no problem with the noises like that, just that after a while, she wished that she could be there making them. But since she was Called and was found by her old Watcher (She still couldn't believe that she was dead. And wouldn't even think about her too much because of that...) It caused her too much pain. She had been the one person that she had met that ever gave a damn about her.

And now, someone else had saved her, someone that also had not asked for anything, but just ran away. Someone who had had a hard life, maybe not as hard as hers, but it was hard.

And he had saved her. And he was from here and knew the Slayer, Buffy.  
Would she know him? She thought so. The flashes she had gotten while he was healing her had shown Buffy and the guy talking. Buffy would know where to find him, and then she would talk to him. How could someone with that power just walk away? He had been terrified when he had healed her; she had felt that, but he did it anyway. That he would do that for someone else was beyond her. It was like she was compelled to find him. When he had healed her, it was the first time in a long time that she felt safe.

The Bronze, that night

"All right, rack 'em up," Xander called to his blonde friend.

The Scoobies were together tonight. Just the three of them. It had been a long time since they had just gone out as friends. Between school and the Slaying, there was no time. And with Xander visiting his dad at night, it really cut into their time together.

Though, he did see him at the Hospital a lot, too. He would drop by when he knew that Max would be on shift, but he missed the family feel that he got when he stopped by his home, After he had just had a dinner with Max and Liz.

And with Buffy or Willow following him, he had to be very careful when he did visit his second home. Not that the first was that great. His adopted parents were drinking more and more lately. His father had almost hit him last night, but had backed down from the look in Xander's eyes. He had someone that cared, so he would not just take it from them anymore. He felt sorry for them, and would help them, but he was not going to just take the abuse from them. He had some good memories of them but not too many.

"Ok, Xan, I am going to win this time!" Buffy said. "But you're going to tell me how you got so good at this."

"Just Physics and geometry, Buffster. I started to figure out that life is about the Math, and I need to get to learning about it."

"Huh? Who are you and what did you do my Xander?"

"Well, You see I am Prince from another star system," Xander said with a smile looking at both Buffy and Willow.

Buffy laughed it off, but Willow looked at him. She had known Xander her entire life, and could tell when he was lying or joking. He was doing neither. And that just threw her in a small spin.

"Earth to Will," Xander called out.

"Hmmm... Yeah?" Willow asked.  
"Could you get me a cold beverage? I'll help you with your home work," Xander said smiling at his oldest friend.

"You help me? I SO don't think so. But I will get you one. Be back in a second."

As Willow walked off, she noticed a Dark haired girl sitting a in a booth watching Xander bend over the pool table to make a shot.

Well, He does look good in those jeans. HEY, with Oz now, no thinking thoughts that could lead to Fluking. But he still does look nice. Hey, I could invite her over, maybe Xander could get a hook up. 

On her way back to the pool table, Willow saw that the girl was still watching Xander, so she walked over to her.

"You know he's single."

"He is?" the girl started. "What's his name?"

"Xander. Why don't you walk over with me and talk to him."

"Just who are you?"

"Best friend," Willow told her, looking over the girl. From watching Xander over the years she had figured out what type of girls were Xan's type. She fit to a T. "He's not see anyone, so come on. Just meet him."

"Maybe later, my father is waiting for a call."

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Kara."

"We're always here, so just drop by."

"I just might do that."

Kara got up and walked out the door. Once outside, she moved into a nearby alley and pulled out a small stone. The stone started to glow.

"I found the prince, Father. What do you want me to do?"

"Just watch for now. We might have a use for him."  
"Yes, father."

Hundreds of light years away

Kivar sat on his stolen throne, thinking. The Prince was showing signs that he was coming into his powers. That should not have happened. All the scientists at his command had told him that his Human side outweighed his Antarian side and that he would never have an powers at all.

But from the reports, it seems like his powers were growing. Now there were whispers in the court that he could become the next King. All he had to do was come back.

I will either have to kill him, or arrange for something else to happen to him. 

And he really didn't want to do that. When all was said and done, he did love his daughter.

But she was a tool, a useful tool, but a tool nonetheless. And if she could keep him on the Throne, he willing to use it.

The next day at school.

Faith walked the halls, looking for her man. Well, not her man... maybe her teenager. Maybe not even that. The guy that saved her. That would do for now. The books she had read on Buffy said that her Watcher worked here. Didn't go in much detail thou. But if she knew Watchers, they were always around books, so its off to the Library.

On her way there, she saw students clearing the way for a tall girl in a cheerleader outfit.

What in the Hell is that about? she thought to herself.

A short student next to her saw the look on her face. "Stay out of her way," he advised, "she kinda went crazy the last couple weeks."

"What happened?" She really didn't care, but who knows - could be demon related.

"Well, she broke up with her boyfriend for cheating on her, and then he kinda had everything fall into place for him."

"What does that mean, shorty?" she asked, looking down at him. Which for her was something unusual.

With a small gulp, he answered. "Well, he went to LA and ended up in a party with super models, and slept over with them. Then he went to Boston, and ended up spending the night with Maria. You know, the singer."

"Just what is this studs' name?"

"Xander."

Could that be his name? He was in Boston. But he didn't sound like the guy who had saved her. He was not a user, Faith knew that from the flashes.

She turned and walked away from the student without another word, heading for the Library.

Stopping just outside the library door, she could hear a group of people talking inside, and looked through the window in the door. Nope, only two guys, one old and one young. This Xander guy wasn't there.

"He has gotten it, and when he figures out how to open it, it will be the end," Giles was telling everyone. "Hell on earth."

"Hey, where is Xander?" Willow asked. She had not seen him since this morning.

"Where else? With his new favorite teacher," Buffy said, looking around. "Guys, there's something about Xander I need to tell you."

"What?" Giles asked. Buffy had seen something last night about Xander on her patrols, but wouldn't talk about it. After her patrol last night, she had said she wanted to think about it.

"Last night," she began, "I found Xander walking on the streets, so I followed him. He had just left the Evans home when a Vampire moved in on him." 

Willow let a small gasp.

"The Vampire sniffed him, then left him alone."

"Well, he has smelled different lately," Oz said.

To which both girls said, "EWWW..."

"It's a Werewolf thing," he added in explanation.

"I know. But still, Ewww. Do you have smell everyone?"

"Yep."

To which the girls let out another heartfelt "EWWWW!"

Out in the hall

So this Xander is in a classroom. Evans. How do I find that room? Faith wondered.

Later, after she had walked most of the halls and dodged the short principal (who reminded her of a toad), she found that this Xander and her mystery guy were one and the same. Of that, she was glad, since she didn't know if the flashes she had gotten were real or just something was made up in her mind.

And seeing that he was standing there, they had to be real. But she didn't know if she should just walk up to him or not. After thinking for a little while, she decided she would wait.

She wanted to know if the flashes were the real him, or if what the student in the hall way said was true. If the latter was true, she was out of here. If the first was, she may just stick around for a while, but he was not cute enough for her to put up with some bullshit.

As she watched, most of the girls in the hallways were watching him when he wasn't looking. Some, like they had never seen him before. And the guys watched him, too. Watched him REAL close when he got around any of their girlfriends. Not that he ever did anything; just talked to a few, before a boyfriend would come along and pull her away.

It was kind of funny, but he didn't seem to notice it at all. He would get this almost hurt look before walking away. She didn't know how much he knew of her. She had a feeling that the flashes went both ways, and that he knew stuff about her. She REALLY didn't like that. But he was fun to watch.

All day, Xander felt like someone was watching him, but he never could see who. He had thought it might be Buffy or Willow, but he had the feeling when he was with them for lunch so it couldn't be them. 

Buffy noticed how on edge her male friend was.

"Hey, let's Bronze it tonight."

"Don't you have a test tomorrow?" Willow asked.

"No studying tonight will change the grade tomorrow," Buffy said to her friend, with a small shake of her head.

"You mean?"

"Yep, going fail it anyway. Why do I need to know about the Battle Of New Orleans? I mean I'm never going to live there. Do they still go around talking about it?"  
"That my Buffy, always thinking," Xander said. "Yep, I will Bronze tonight with my favorite ladies."

Later that night.

Buffy and Willow were sitting at their usual table, watching as Xander maneuvered thought the crowd to bring the cold beverages. The last couple of days had seem like old times. Xander was around more. But he still would disappear from time to time. And he had started to eat and drink some very unusual things.

"What's with the Hot sauce lately?" Willow asked as Xander pulled out a bottle and poured some in his drink. He had gotten one of the sickly sweet specialty drinks that the Bronze makes here. Buffy had thought it was for some of the demon clients that come in from time to time.

"Nothing. Just like the taste," he said with a shrug.

That shrug told Willow a lot. The big thing was that Xander was lying and that he wasn't at the same time. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw there was another dark haired girl watching Xander.

"Here we go again," she said,

"What?" Xander asked as he looked at his best friend.

"You have a fan," the redhead said. "One last night, now this one. You're on a roll," she said with a grin.

Xander looked across the room. Two sets of eyes meet at the same time with one word between them both.

"Shit."

Xander felt that way because she had found him and a whole lot of trouble could be heading toward him and his family.

Faith felt that way because she wanted to meet him on her terms. Now that she was found out, she did the only thing she could think of, the thing most Slayers do when something falls apart: she moved in for the kill.

Getting up, she stalked toward him. The way she moved reminded Willow of someone. And Buffy could feel something coming off of her, a feeling of Family, of Sisterhood.

Xander could only think that he was so dead.  
As Faith approached, a smile grin was growing on her face. Xander was getting more and more jumpy.

"Hey, long time no see," she began.

"Uh, HEY," Xander said. Then thought to himself Real smooth. 

He took a glance at both Buffy and Willow, who were looking between the both of them.

"Xan, you going to introduce us?"

"Umm. Uhn. Buffy, Willow, this is, uhhh."

"I'm Faith. The last time I saw old Magic Hands here, I couldn't say much."

Both Willow's and Buffy's eyebrows went up at that.

"Magic Hands?" both asked, at the same time.

"Oh, look at the time," Xander said as he stood up. "Faith, Let me walk you home."

Xander stood up, grabbed Faith by the arm, and came to a stop as Faith didn't move, just looked at his arm where he held his hand was on her.

"I'll go with you. But just to let you know, if you touch me again without asking, you'll only have a stub there."

Xander quickly dropped his hand.

Faith turned to the two females.

"We'll talk later."

"You can bet on that,." Buffy said to Faith as she walked away with Xander. To which Xander let out another groan, thinking again, I am so dead. 

Once outside.

"How did you find me?" Xander asked.

"Had flashes from you, saw Buffy," Faith said, looking him in the eyes.

"Did you tell the Council?" Xander said, looking at his feet.  
"What? That I was coming to Sunnydale?"

"No, about me."

"Why should I? You saved me. And I wanted to find out more about you. So, here I am."

"You don't have a Watcher?" The sudden thought that there were groups of men in tweed running through the woods looking for her ran through his head.

"Nope, no Watcher. At least not 'til they find me."

"Huh?" She had run away from them?

"Nope, you saw my last Watcher," Faith said in a small voice.

"God, I'm so sorry," Xander began. Only to be cut off fast by Faith.

"Hey, we both knew this is a short time gig. She was the first to give a damn about me in a long while, but this lifestyle kills you fast. At least, that's the hope. I sure as hell don't want the slow death."

"Not if I can help it," Xander began. O, shit did I say that out loud? 

After a fast glance at Faith, he thought, Yep, I said it out loud.

"Well, with those magic hands of yours, I can see that." It was one of the reasons she had came. If he had healed her, then he can heal her again.

"So what are going to do, now that you have found me?"

"Just kick around for a while. Slay stuff. 'Til I get a new Watcher."

And 'til I get you to follow me, she thought to herself. It would give her the edge, and a Slayer needed all the edge she could find.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Family Ties 5

Author: Robert jackson

Email: to archive: yes, just let me know where.

Pairing/Characters: F/X mainly

Rating: Pg - pg 13

Summary: Xander has met most of his relatives, now its Uncle Michael turn.

Warnings: Maybe some language.

Notes: you can find most of my stories at http/ 5

Buffy and Willow sat around the kitchen of Buffy's home, while Joyce fixed them a fast breakfast. They had tried to follow Xander and that girl Faith last night but they just faded away once they got outside of the Bronze. It was very disconcerting for the both of them. They had wanted to keep him out of harms way now it seems like it followed him around. And that new girl, trouble just came off her in waves.

After a little while Buffy noticed that her mom was almost dancing and humming ever loud to herself.

"Mom," the blond girl started. "What's with the Happy, happy, joy, joy this morning?"

Joyce stopped an looked at the girls. Both watching her with a smile on their faces.

"Well, I got a call last night from an Artists agent, and he wants to put a show on here in Sunnydale and wants to use my Studio!" Joyce was almost giggling at the very though of it happening here.

"So who is this guy that makes my mom so happy? And should I be worry about her doing the groupie thing. I would really be upset if I needed to drag up out of some guys hotel room."

"His name is Michael Guerin," Giving her daughter the evil eye, "I have loved his work since college. His space scene's make you feel like your walking on another planet. And his real life work is beyond belief. And just so you know his is married. Thou if he was single I would push him away. Be good for a one night stand." She added with a grin at the shocked look on her Daughter and friends face.

"TMI!" Buffy yelled, "Mothers should not have sex.!"

"Well, then how did you get here?" Joyce said watching Buffy squirm, "I am fairly certain that sex was involved with that."

Willow sat back and watched her mom would never talk like this, Mrs Rosenberg would have pulled out text books to show how much women have sex and how the likelihood that a child would have been conceived. It was nice to listen in on them and imagine that this was her life, Buffy didn't know how good she had it.

"I have heard that name before." Willow said trying to get them away from the sex talk. Willow understood that people have and were happy about it but she didn't want to know the why and the weres of it.

"He was in the news a few days ago." Joyce told the girls she had gone back to working on the breakfast, "He was in a fight with some actor, The guy made a pass at his wife and the fight was on."

Then it hit both Buffy and Willow at the same time, in the article about Maria, her husband was Michael Guerin, he was an artist that had a very short temper. Been in lots of fights from what was said. And he was coming to a town where a guy lives that slept with his wife. So not good.

Both Willow and Buffy hit the same ideal at the same time, We've got to keep Xander away from that art show., and with that all thoughts of Faith were gone.

The Chases that night

Cordelia sat and watch as her mother, Diana paced back and forth. She had gotten an invitation to an art show at that Summers studio. How low brow can you get she though as she went over the invitation. She knew that her daughter had used to hang out with the daughter of owner. But they were just common trash, like most of the people in this town. After getting the RSVP for the party she hit the phones. There was no way something this big would be held in the small place. An artist of Guerins caliber should not rub elbows with people that don't understand his work. He needed to be with the elite. But so far no one had returned her calls about moving it.

While Cordy's mom was running through her list of contacts. Cordy was planing. She recognized the name of the artist at once, he was the husband of her used to favorite singer. She couldn't listen to Maria any more every time she turn on any of her music all she can see is Xander kissing Maria. Then everything goes black.

Xander so going to pay. He messed up her life and now it was her turn. All she needed to do was make sure that Xander and Michael met and that shouldn't be to much of a problem now should it?


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Family ties 6

Author: Robert Jackson

Email: to archive: yes, just let me know where.

Pairing/Characters: Faith(dana)/ Xander

Rating:pg-13 due ideals, maybe not that high but being safe

Summary:Micheal's coming to town.

Warnings:none, really.

Notes: you can find most of my stories at

http/ was less than a week to go before the exposition would arrive. Buffy and Willow had not really been worried about Xander showing up at the show; after all, Xander was just not into the art world. And although Sunnydale is a small town, it's still mighty big to find one person in it, so Buffy was sure between Willow and herself they could keep the two apart.

Well, that was until they found Cordelia had cornered Xander and given him two tickets.

"Look," the queen of the school told her ex, "these are to make up for how I have been acting. I understand that you have moved on and have a life. I would use them but I will be out of town that night." Cordelia was lying through her teeth; there was no way she would miss the fireworks that were sure to happen that night.

"I don't know. I'm not real big on the art world," Xander looked at Cordy suspiciously. He knew she was up to something; just what it was he didn't know.

"Look, go have fun. You might just expand your mind a little."

Then Cordy turned at walked away.

Buffy and Willow both knew now that they had their work cut out for them, so the next day they kept cutting in on Xander wherever he was to talk. Willow had had the idea to make plans to do something that night, something Xander would never turn down: a date, with Buffy. Both Willow and Buffy knew that he had feelings for Buffy and would never turn her down the slayer.

But things didn't go as planned.

An hour before the meeting with Xander, Buffy and Willow were going over their game plan.

"Willow, I don't know," Buffy said as she looked at her makeup in the mirror. "Isn't this a bad thing to do?"

"Well," Willow said as she adjusted Buffy's hair, "it's either this or letting him get beaten to pulp by a jealous husband. Which do you want to happen?"

"You know I don't want to hurt him, or anyone else – he's our Xander. But playing with his emotions? I don't know. And what if he says no?"

"There is no way he would say no," Willow stated firmly, finishing up on Buffy's hair. "He's in love with you. Has been since he met you, you know that."

"Well, it's just for one night, and it will save him," Buffy said. "Let's go and get this over."

Buffy saw her target. Xander was sitting on one of the couches, his head tilted back, his eyes closed. Buffy walked up to him. He still hadn't moved. She looked around and saw no one was looking, so she kicked him. He jerked, then shifted to face the other direction.

"Damn it, Faith, I was just getting to sleep," he said in a sleepy tone as he rolled to one side, away from her.

Faith? Buffy thought. Across the room from her, Willow watched her and gave her the go-ahead wave.

So, kicking is how Faith wakes him up? Hmm, Buffy thought, before moving away from the picture in her mind. Buffy sat down and next to Xander and started to caress the side of his face, moving the hair out of his eyes. Xander let out a little moan and snuggled down next to her.

But Buffy came to a complete stop, when he said, "Five more minutes, Liz. I need my rest before we start again."

Buffy jerked her hand back like it was on fire. Liz, who the hell is Liz? Buffy thought. She couldn't think of a single Liz at school that even looked at Xander.

Just then someone stopped in front of them.

She hadn't noticed that all the talking and noise had stopped in the room, so she turned to look at who had stopped in front of them.

The first thing she saw was some very expensive shoes, high heels at that, followed by some very female legs. Going higher, she saw a short skirt and small waist, expansive bust line in a button up shirt. Then the face of a goddess.

Isabel, the model, was standing looking down at her and Xander, a soft grin on her face. And standing beside her was Mrs. Evans.

"Yep," Isabel said to Mrs. Evans, "Liz, he's doing exactly what you said he would be."

"Last night," Mrs. Evans said, looking at her friend, "really worn him out."

"Well, he still has a lot of work to do."

With that Isabel looked down at them again, raising an elegant eye-brow as she looked at Buffy. "You're still here?"

The command of her voice made Buffy want to run and hide. This was the face of what Cordelia would be like in the future. God help them all.

As Buffy left to regroup with Willow, the last thing she heard was the model's comment to the teacher.

"I can't wait to get him out of these clothes," Isabel was saying to the science teacher.

Then it hit Buffy. Liz! Xander was talking about her when she was playing with his hair.

Once Buffy was gone, Xander opened one eye, looking up at his stepmother and aunt, and asked, "She gone?"

"Yes," Liz said smiling at him. "What was that about?"

"I have no idea," Xander said looking around anxiously.

God, he hoped Faith hadn't seen that. Why he wasn't exactly sure.

"I was asleep, dreaming of being at your house, Liz, and me and Faith were playing around. Then it was you when you woke me up to start some powers training. Then I woke up with her jumping around and you guys were here. I played opossum 'til she left."

"Judging from the dress and the looks she was giving you, she was after you," Isabel said. She was used to the man-hunter outfits enough to know when someone was wearing one. Even if it was the high school look.

"She can't be after me," Xander said, shaking his head negatively. "I'm just her girlfriend with guy parts."

"Well, no matter," Isabel said looking him up and down. "We have business to get to. Come on, we're leaving."

Liz just smiled as Isabel almost dragged the squirming, boy out of the school. Most of the male population of the school was watching, and you could almost see the drool on their mouths.

Boys Liz thought. Then continued, Wouldn't change them at all.

She then noticed that the girls had been watching, too, speculation in their eyes. You could almost hear the thought, what is so special about Xander Harris that Isabel would drag him out of school with her?

The only eyes not watching Xander be taken out of School were Buffy and Willow's, as they were watching the teacher. The one who had taken their Xander away from them, turning him into some sexual toy or something. Their eyes narrowed as Liz looked at the male students with a smile. To them, she looked like some pervert, then their eyes widened further as she looked at the female students with the same look.

"We need to get some help with this. Someone to talk to Xander, so we can help him out of this mess."

A phone call to an unknown location leaving a message.

"My queen, your son has come into his power."

Ava sat by the answering machine and listened to the message again and again. She knew Xan was not her child, but Tess's, but she and Tess were the same, genetically speaking, so he would be her son. She had to see him, if for no other reason than to see what she could have had with Zan, her king, who had been killed by Rath. She knew also, that Rath and Lonnie were out there somewhere. She had been hiding from them and the others for years. She just wanted to live her own life.

And now someone had called her, about Xan.

It took her two days of thinking about it before she came to a decision. She would find him. Her double's son.

Then she would go on from there. He wasn't hers, but the feelings were there, build right into her DNA. Protect her son. Even if she hadn't truly been the mother.

That night, Xander was sitting around the Evens with his family, which, much to both of their surprise, now included Faith as well. She had started to stay with the Evens soon after she came here.

Flashback

"Come on, they're good people," Xander told the dark Slayer.

"I don't know them. Hell I only know you in this town," Faith said as she moved her coffee cup around.

They had stopped for coffee after a short patrol. She still did them; after all, a Slayer's got to do what a Slayer's got to do.

But now, instead of going out alone, She knew had back up.

Xander. He was there for her every night.

"Well," Xander said moving his own coffee cup, "they're my family, they know about the night life here, and they want to help you."

"Are they like you, too?" Faith asked. She knew about them from the flashes that she had seen in Boston, but she still wanted to see if he would tell the truth. So far, he had not lied to her. Not yet.

But he had also not told her everything.

"Yes, they're just like me," Xander said looking around the dinner that they sat at.

"Ok, I'll stay with the ET family," Faith said with a smirk. "As long as my Favorite Martian will come and see me."

"God, I have to get you away from Nik at Night," Xander said with a groan.

The Day before the Exposition

Xander was sitting with Isabel at the mall. They had been shopping every day, and now he had a whole new wardrobe.

His adopted parents had not even noticed that he had just about stopped coming home by now. Most nights, he would stay at the Evans', and a few times, at Isabel's hotel room. It had been great.

But today, there was a serious conversation going on.

"So let me get this straight," Isabel was saying looking upset at Xander. "You used your powers to save Faith's life?"

"Yep," Xander said, wondering why she was acting this way. "She was dying, and I wasn't going to let it happen."

"I understand. I'm not mad about it," Isabel said, grabbing Xander's hand. "I'm glad you saved her life. She's a nice girl; has a few problems, but still a nice girl. But if you save someone with your powers, it changes humans."

"What?" Xander pulled back. "Did I hurt her?"

"No, no," Isabel said, calming the boy before he got too worked up. "It's just that, once you heal a human, they change. They become like us."

"Oh boy." Xander slid down in his seat.

"Don't worry, she's fine. You didn't hurt her," Isabel said

"I know," Xander said a hopeless look on his face. "She's ok, but she's going to kill me."

Isabel did the only thing she could think of, she laughed and pulled him into a hug.

Unknown to them, they were not alone. Across the court yard stood Buffy and Willow. They had come to get new dresses for the expositions, when they came across Xander and Isabel and saw them talking. Then they saw the laughter and hugs.

"What are those women up to?" Buffy asked.

Willow and Buffy could not understand it; there had to be something going on. No women would be throwing themselves at a teenage boy.

They had talked to Giles, and he seemed to think that Xander was doing magic of some sort.

He couldn't prove it, but things happened when Xander was around. Things that couldn't be explained by any other reason. Broken stuff fixed itself without any evidence that it had been broken to begin with.

He was worried that the boy was delving into the Dark Arts. That could explain why he seems to meeting with all the famous people. Plus, it would explain what he had to be doing with all these women. And married women at that.

Something else to consider was that the background checks of Max and Liz Evans had shown that they were troublemakers. And maybe even into the arts themselves, if the files Willow had dug up were true.

But they still didn't want a direct confutation with Xander yet. They needed more proof that his new friends were evil. And they needed something that could break the hold they had over Xander. It seemed to them that sex was what was controlling him, and they needed something as strong as that to break him free.

Neither girl wanted to have sex with Xander. Sure, if it was his life on the line, they would. But just to break spell?

They needed to find another way.

Buffy and Willow were working themselves to the bone at the shop, running back and forth to make sure everyone had a full drink or a bit of food.

But they had a plan: Xander would not show tonight.

That afternoon, they had broken into his bed room, found his suit and stolen it.

They would return it after the party, but Xander would not be here tonight. The only thing that Willow had noticed about his bed room, was that it looked like Xander hadn't been there in a while.

At the Evans'

Xander was sitting in a funk.

Isabel was at the party, and so was Michael.

And his suit was gone.

He knew he shouldn't have left at the Harris homestead, but he had just dropped it off after school and it was on his way to meet up with Faith to talk her into going with him that night.

Now he was going have to break it to her that he couldn't go.

As he sat there, he was playing with his powers, changing the faces around on a magazine cover. Then it hit him.

Change.

He stood up and walked to a mirror. Looking at his reflection, he waved his hand down and he was dressed in his suit. His hair was perfectly done, just the way it was in the magazine pictures.

As he stood there looking at himself, he slowly became aware of a clapping noise. He turned and there stood Faith, decked out in a red dress that covered her like a glove.

The dress was cut in a way that screamed sex kitten, but the look in her eyes was that of a girl waiting to be kicked. She wanted to impress him and from the look he was giving her, she wasn't sure if she had done that.

"My god," Xander said as Faith tensed up, "you're beautiful."

"Not so bad yourself, stud." Faith paused, then looked at him closer. "Nice move with the hands. I've got learn how to do that."

Xander winced.

He was going to tell Faith about the changes she would be going through, but just not tonight. He was going to meet more of his family, and wanted it to a good night.

"Uh, Faith, there is something I should tell you, but it will be later, ok?"

He would tell her if she wanted to know, but he really wanted to wait.

"Will knowing it now change anything about it?" Faith asked. If it was important, like the world was going to end, she wanted to know.

But if it was not, it could wait.

"Nope, nothing can change this." Xander looked a little sad about it, but she saw a little determination in his face. He would tell her, but didn't want to do so, right now.

"Ok," Faith said. "It'll wait."

Xander broke into a smile.

"Let's hit the road and have a ball at the party."

"You got it, stud."


End file.
